Cell therapy methods mostly use adult stem cells or progenitor cells, both of which are capable of tissue regeneration, and examples of the methods include the attempts to regenerate blood vessels and muscles by using myeloid-derived stem cells. However, the method of selecting stem cells that are suitable for the regeneration of cells and tissues as constituents of adult stem cells has not been sufficiently understood, and thus, there have been difficulties in the actual use of such a method.
Despite continuous research on cell therapy, there have always been problems of an absolute insufficiency in the number of stem cells, a low survival rate of stem cells and the like. Therefore, continuous effort is required for effective clinical applications and the maximization of efficiency in cell therapy.
Research is practically in progress on the use of drugs—which can prevent cell death—for stem cells to minimize the loss of stem cells, on inducing stem cells into other types of cells that are more suitable for tissue regeneration, and the like.
Ischemia refers to the state of an insufficient supply of blood to a particular tissue, leading to an insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients and removal of harmful metabolites, finally bringing about tissue damage. Examples of clinically representative diseases include ischemic cardiovascular diseases. An example of a treatment for such an ischemic cardiovascular disease includes coronary artery angioplasty, but, despite continuous development of stenting technology, it is still not sufficient to restore tissues that are already damaged.
Hence, a treatment that is in the limelight is the use of stem cells in regeneration of a heart muscle.
Korean Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0054140 relates to cord blood-derived multipotent stem cells and cell therapy products that contains the stem cells for the treatment of an ischemic necrosis disease, and it provides a cell therapy product for treating an ischemic necrosis disease, which is caused by an atherosclerotic artery disease.
Continuous development of a cell therapy product is required for the radical treatment of ischemia-related diseases.